How To Not Be The Grinch This Holiday Season

How To Avoid Holiday Stress

As a health and wellness coach, I know about the effects of stress on the body, especially around the holiday season. There are excessive demands on our precious resources during the season. Our health and finances are often impacted by those demands. Do you often catch that miserable virus or feel sleep deprived? So many of us experience anxiety over gift giving and finding the perfect gift. This year, enjoy the season and stay healthy.

Here are my tips for avoiding holiday stressors:

Tip #1

Set a budget and stick to it. Use a budget app like Mint, Santa’s bag, Ibotta or Red Laser. Don’t wait until the last minute to shop.

Tip #2

Set realistic goals for your holiday experiences, drop perfection and settle for good and cozy. Think of the Norwegian term “hygge” and the best definition that I found-“It’s about making sure people are welcomed right away, with something to eat and drink, unless you’ve invited them to help you cook.” And Hahnemann stresses that this food doesn’t need to be fancy. It’s not about making sure everything is perfect. It’s about gathering together and finding fellowship in our imperfect humanity. — Deena Prichep, NPR.org, 21 Dec. 2017

Pajama party gathering comes to mind and I have had them and people love them!

Tip #3

Parties – going to them and giving them can be fun if you set limits. How many parties are reasonable for you during the season? There are family and work parties that are obligatory so mark your calendars and choose wisely from the other invitations. For your party consider a dessert and drinks event or potluck? I do not suggest appetizers as often they take as much time as cooking a buffet dinner.

Tip #4

Your health cannot be sacrificed for the Holiday Season so outsource what you can and take advantage of stores that offer free gift wrap, eat a vegetable for every sweet and drink a lot of water. I walk around with a glass of water, still or sparkling with a twist as to not overindulge with cocktails. Scheduling your self-care, sleep, relaxation, and rejuvenation are vital to maintaining your health and to aid in recovery when we overindulge and we will because tis the season!

Tip #5

Shop local for retail where you can give experiences as indicated in the research from Huffington Post Healthy Living By Carolyn Gregoire 12/07/2016 07:07 pm ET | Updated December 8, 2016 below:

It’s both a cliché and a scientific fact that experiences bring greater happiness than material possessions. But new research adds weight to this idea as it applies to gift-giving: According to one study, receiving an experience really is more meaningful.

While material things might provide a boost of pleasure in the moment, they’re unlikely to do much for your happiness or well-being over time. So instead of buying sweaters and iPads for everyone on your list this year, consider giving something less tangible but potentially more impactful.

In a study published this month in the journal Emotion, psychologists found that experiential consumption fosters gratitude and giving, and that thinking about experiences promotes more altruistic behavior than thinking about possessions.

“We have found that people tend to be happier when they invest in experiences, because experiential purchases connect people to one another, enhance their sense of self, and, relative to material consumption, tend to be appreciated for their intrinsic value rather than how they compare to what others have,” study authors Amit Kumar, Jesse Walker, and Thomas Gilovich wrote in Scientific American.

Material gifts might physically last longer, but experiential gifts leave a more lasting mark psychologically, the researchers found. People tend to feel stronger and more lasting gratitude for the experiences they’ve had than the things they’ve acquired…….

Sonrisa Day Spa Holiday Gift Ideas

Here are some gift ideas from Sonrisa Salon and Day Spa for the Holiday Season. All gift certificates can be customized but here are a few great ideas:

Give the Gift of Relaxation

Our Body treatment begins with a relaxing foot soak, aromatherapy, body polish exfoliation, and body massage. This is the ultimate 90-minute Eco-luxury treatment provided in our relaxing salt therapy treatment rooms. $145

Give the Gift of Beauty

Pamper a friend or family member with a beauty or hair makeover. For men and women hair color is trending. Many men want highlights or grey blending. Almost every woman or man would love to have an anti-aging facial in our relaxing salt therapy treatment rooms. Prices vary

Give the Gift of Health

Massage therapy is a luxury that also helps with pain management and stress relief and is a perfect gift for anyone who deserves a break and a chance to truly relax. Add our aromatherapy cedar in-fared sauna and triple the health benefits. Prices Vary

Give the gift of Hand and Beauty Revitalization

A customized manicure and pedicure treatment with aromatherapy, foot, and hand massage will take about 2 hours for $90

For convenience, you can call 816-746-4772 and we can customize a gift certificate for you, you can choose an amount on our website and the gift certificate can be emailed or mailed.

For the best value come to our Grand Re-opening on Thursday, November 15th from 4-8 PM where you can pre-order retail products for 20% off-buy gift certificates and receive beautiful gifts to give with your certificates.

This is the only time that we will offer 20% off of our retail products. After ordering we will custom wrap them and call you for pick up. How easy is that?

Enjoy holiday beverages and treats and the chance to win gift certificates and wonderful products. Our new address is 6525 North Cosby Avenue Kansas City Mo. 64151. Located in the Picture Hills Shopping Center